Air pump

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses an air pump used for utilization of exhaust gas from an automobile, wherein said air pump comprises a tubular main body having, at one end, an opening connectable directly or through a supplementary means with an exhaust pipe of an automobile and, at other end, a discharge opening provided with a check valve, and a pipe or conduit having one end connectable with the discharge opening of said tubular main body and other end provided with a mouthpiece or spigot and engageable with an intake port of an object to be supplied with air.

United States Patent Primary Examiner- Henry F. Raduazo Attorney-Wobdhams, Blanchard and Flynn ABSTRACT: The present invention discloses an air pump used for utilization of exhaust gas from an automobile, wherein said air pump comprises a tubular main body having, at one end, an opening connectable directly or through a supplementary means with an exhaust pipe of an automobile and, at other end, a discharge opening provided with a check valve, and a pipe or conduit having one end connectable with the discharge opening of said tubular main body and other end provided with a mouthpiece or spigot and engageable with an intake port of an object to be supplied with air.

PATENTED JUL 6197! 3590.852

INVENTOR AIR PUMP The present invention relates to an air pump, more particularly an air pump which is used in making use of exhaust gas to be discharged from an exhaust pipe of an automobile under pressure.

The air pump according to the present invention permits to be used as a means for supplying air into a tire, a swimming bladder, a rubber boat, etc., and a means for increasing suction in a miniature vacuum cleaner which is used especially for cleaning the inside of an automobile.

in the accompanying drawings;

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of an air pump of the present invention, partly cut shown; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of a miniature vacuum cleaner, wherein the air pump of the present invention isused as an air supply means for suction improvement.

Description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A cylindrical pipe 2 made of anticorrosive metal or plastics having a high anticorrosive property and having both open ends is fitted to one open end of an exhaust pipe 1 of an automobile. if said exhaust pipe 1 is made of anticorrosive metal, a below-mentioned cylindricalortubular main body 10 may be fitted directly to the open end of exhaust pipe 1, without the intermediary of the cylindrical pipe 2. The cylindrical pipe 2 has several slits 3 provided longitudinally thereof at one end portion to be fitted with the exhaust pipe 1. Wound circumferentially of the end portion of cylindrical pipe 2 is a fastener collar 4, which serves to fasten the exhaust pipe 1 and cylindrical pipe 2 by means of a bolt 5 and nut 6. Said fastener collar 4 consists of an annular portion 7 having a circumference slightly smaller than an outer circumference of said cylindrical pipe 2, and pendent end portions 8, 8 each provided with a hole at a corresponding part, into which said bolt is inserted to be fastened by the nut 6. When the cylindrical pipe 2 is fitted to the exhaust pipe 1, and if allowance or a gap is formed therebetween, such allowance or gap will be precluded by tightening the fastener belt 4 to close each of slits 3, thereby effecting a close fit of the cylindrical pipe 2 to the exhaust pipe 1. In connection with a fixation of the cylindrical pipe 2 to the exhaust pipe 1, both pipes may be threaded, or'welded in a certain case. Said cylindrical pipe 2 further is provided with stoppers 9 at an internal wall of the other open end, which stoppers extend inwardly from the inner wall of the cylindrical pipe 2. The cylindrical main pipe 10 with an outer diameter similar to that of the cylindrical pipe 2 is provided with a diametrically reduced portion llat one openend, which has an outer diameter similar to an inner diameter of the cylindri cal pipe 2, so as to be fitted thereto. Provided on a circumferential lateral portion of the diametrically reduced portion 11 is L-shaped slots 12, which engage said stoppers 9. That is, a firm fitting of the cylindrical main pipe 10 to the cylindrical pipe 2 is effected by engaging stoppers 9 with the L-shaped slots 12 and by turning the cylindrical main pipe 10 upwardly (in FIG. 1) into a locked position. The cylindrical main pipe 10 has a reduced hub at the other end thereof serving as an air supply means 13 and formed integrally therewith with an extremely reduced diameter. The air supply means 13 is provided with an air passage 14 therein, which is reduced in diameter at one end adjacent to a below-mentioned filter 32 and threaded 15 along the inner circumference of the other end thereof. Said air passage 14 contains therein a ball check valve 16. The tubular air supply means 13 has-a threaded opening 17, with which an air pressure gauge 18 is threaded. Screwed into said threaded portion 15 is a coupling tube 22. which has at one end, a diametrically enlarged portion 19 with outer circumferential threads, a diametrically reduced portion 20 at other end, and an internal through slot 21 provided centrally thereof in a longitudinal direction. Said diametrically reduced opposite end portion 20 is connected to one end of an air supply pipe or conduit 23 such as a rubber hose, with a desired length. The air supply pipe 23 has other end provided with a mouthpiece or spigot 24 to be connected with a valve of a rubber boat or swimming bladder (not shown).

Said cylindrical main pipe 10 also has, at the lower part of the other end, an opening 26 into which a cylindrical valve member 25 is inserted. The cylindrical valve member 25 consists of a shoulder portion having a regulating port 30 extending transversely in relation to its axis and outwardly thereof, and a knob portion 31 with a reduced diameter in relation to the shoulder portion. The opening 26 accommodating the cylindrical valve member 25 has a diametrically enlarged portion which communicates with an exhaust port 27 provided at the under part to open outwardly and aneck portion 28 en gaging with the shoulder portion so as to hold the cylindrical valve member 25 within the opening. In this connection, the cylindrical valve member 25 is turned in any direction by the knob 31 to bring the regulating port 30 into an alignment or registry with the exhaust port 27. That is, a discharge amount is regulatable easily by adjusting rotation of the cylindrical valve member 25 by the knob 31. Said exhaust port 27 and the regulating port 30 serve to not only adjust air pressure within the cylindrical main pipe 10, but also discharge moisture converted from'exhaust gas within the cylindrical pipe 2 or cylindrical main pipe 10.

Within the inner part of cylindrical main pipe 10, a filter or purifier 32 such as steel wool is filled for purification of exhaust gas, so that purified air is supplied to the object to be supplied with air, such as a tire, or a swimming bladder.

Use of the air pump of the present invention will be described below, by way of an example wherein it is used for supplying a tire of an automobile with air.

- Firstly, the cylindrical main pipe 10 is fitted to the cylindrical pipe 2 secured to the exhaust pipe 1, with the diametrically reduced portion 11 fitted thereto by engaging the slots 12 with the stoppers 9, meanwhile the mouthpiece or spigot 24 is connected with the valve of the tire. The cylindrical valve member 25 is turned by the knob to the extent that the lateral wall thereof completely closes the exhaust port 27. Then, an engine of the automobile is initiated into continuous operation. During operation of the engine, exhaust gas is compressed and purified Within the cylindrical main pipe 10, and supplied into the tire from the mouthpiece or spigot 24 through the supply pipe 23. In case an engine which exhausts a large amount of gas is used, the knob 31 of the cylindrical valve member25 is turned until the regulating port 30 comes into registry with the exhaust port 27, so that an excessive air is discharged therefrom. Pressure control during air supply is effected either by adjusting the position of the regulating port 30 in relation to the exhaust port 27, or by decreasing the rate of rotation of the engine.

The pressure gauge 18 is provided to indicate pressure of air which is being supplied into the tire. When the regulating port 30 is brought into a registry with the exhaust port 27, or the engine is stopped, compressed air which has been fed into the tire will flow back to bring the ball check valve 16 into a chocked or closed position, and will be transferred to the pressure gauge 18, whereby a reverse flow of air into the cylindrical pipe 2 is completely prevented. The air pressure within the tire is indicated on the pressure gauge.

By employment of the air pump as described hereinabove, air supply into a tire of a general automobile had been effected within one minute.

The air pump according to the present invention is efficiently employed in a vacuum cleaner as well, especially a miniature vacuum cleaner for an automobile, as a means for improving suction, an example of which will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.

Said vacuum cleaner comprises an intake pipe 33, and a flexible tube 37 having one open end connected with one open end 36 of said intake tube 37 and a dust suction port 38 formed at other end in a flat shape. Said intake pipe 33 is provided with an air supply pipe 34 extending inwardly thereof through the pipe wall adjacent to the opening 36. Said air supply pipe 34 extends one open end towards the opening 35 within the intake pipe 33, with other end remained to project outside of the intake pipe 33 To the other end of the air supply pipe 34, a mouthpiece or spigot 24 is connected. Thus, when air supply is begun through the mouthpiece or spigot 24 and the air supply pipe 23, suction takes place within said tube 37, whereby dusts or gravels are sucked in from the dust suction opening 38 to be discharged from the open end 35 of intake pipe 33.

lclaim:

l. A pressurized gas supply apparatus adapted for connection to the exhaust ofa combustion engine, comprising:

a main body having an elongated bore therein, one end of said bore being connectable with the exhaust of a combustion engine, such as by being connectable with the exhaust pipe of an automotive vehicle, for enabling the exhaust gases of the engine to be supplied to said bore;

means defining a discharge passage communicating with said bore adjacent the other end thereof whereby the gases within said bore can flow through said passage for discharge at an external location;

one-way check valve means disposed within said discharge passage for permitting free flow of gases from said bore through said passage while preventing flow of gases back into said bore;-

filter means disposed within said bore between the ends thereof for filtering the gases passing therethrough;

pressure-indicating means mounted on said main body and communicating with said discharge passage at a location downstream of said check valve means; and regulating means mounted on said main body for regulating the flow of the gases discharged through said discharge passage, said regulating means including a selectively adjustable regulating member movably mounted on said main body and having a regulating passage formed therein, said regulating means also including an exhaust passage formed in said main body and disposed for selective communication with said regulating passage, one of said exhaust and regulating passages being in communication with said bore, the other of said exhaust and regulating passages discharging to a location externally of said main body and said discharge passage. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said filter means is disposed between said regulating means and said one end of said bore whereby all gases flowing through any of said passages must first flow through said filter means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said main body comprises an elongated hollow tubular member having one end adapted to be connected to the exhaust pipe of a vehicle, said discharge passage and said regulating means being disposed adjacent the other end of said tubular member, and said filter means being disposed adjacent said other end of said tubular member 

1. A pressurized gas supply apparatus adapted for connection to the exhaust of a combustion engine, comprising: a main body having an elongated bore therein, one end of said bore being connectable with the exhaust of a combustion engine, such as by being connectable with the exhaust pipe of an automotive vehicle, for enabling the exhaust gases of the engine to be supplied to said bore; means defining a discharge passage communicating with said bore adjacent the other end thereof whereby the gases within said bore can flow through said passage for discharge at an external location; one-way check valve means disposed within said discharge passage for permitting free flow of gases from said bore through said passage while preventing flow of gases back into said bore; filter means disposed within said bore between the ends thereof for filtering the gases passing therethrough; pressure-indicating means mounted on said main body and communicating with said discharge passage at a location downstream of said check valve means; and regulating means mounted on said main body for regulating the flow of the gases discharged through said discharge passage, said regulating means including a selectively adjustable regulating member movably mounted on said main body and having a regulating passage formed therein, said regulating means also including an exhaust passage formed in said main body and disposed for selective communication with said regulating passage, one of said exhaust and regulating passages being in communication with said bore, the other of said exhaust and regulating passages discharging to a location externally of said main body and said discharge passage.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said filter means is disposed between said regulating means and said one end of said bore whereby all gases flowing through any of said passages must first flow through said filter means.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said main body comprises an elongated hollow tubular member having one end adapted to be connected to the exhaust pipe of a vehicle, said discharge passage and said regulating means being disposed adjacent the other end of said tubular member, and said filter means being disposed adjacent said other end of said tubular member. 